CAMPAIGNS to stop pointless use of antibiotics have already led to a 15 per cent cut in the number of prescriptions issued in East Lancashire over the last 12 months.

And many local doctors are also prescribing shorter courses of the drugs.

Patients suffering colds and viruses often request antibiotics but campaigns at Bangor Street and Montague Health Centre, in Blackburn, have aimed to explain why these illnesses don't respond to the drugs and how they should be treated.

Sharuna Reddy, prescribing advisor to Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Group, said: "The use of antibiotics needs to be reserved for fighting infections caused by bacteria and we need to be sparing in our use of them to reduce the chances of bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant.

"This is becoming more common and some bacteria are now resistant to several antibiotics, so it is very important that we do not take antibiotics when we don't need them."

Ms Reddy said the drive to cut unnecessary prescribing may also save cash. Antibiotics formed a large proportion of the unwanted medicines returned by patients to pharmacies during the last "dump" campaign, encouraging people to clear out their medicine cabinets.

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